Improvement in cotton-presses



. CHAMP o. comma, or RIPLEY, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-PR'E'SSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,792, dated July 23,1872.

Specification describing a certain Improvement in a Cotton-Press,invented by CHAMP O. OONNER, D. D., of Ripley, in the county ofLauderdale and State of Tennessee.

This invention relates tothe combination,

in a cotton-press, of a capstan, a shaft worked by means of a cablewound on the capstan, and a follower, which is drawn down on the baleboxby means of cables attached to the follower-beam and worked by the saidshaft, and which is raised in the bale-box by means of a I cableattached to the follower-beam and worked by the said capstan; also, tothe combination, in a cotton-press, of double-acting p'awls with thefollower-beam and with ratchets on the outside of the bale-box, whichpawls hold the follower when the moving force is intermitted,

whether rising or descending; and to an improved apparatus for fasteningthe side doors of the bale-box.

fFigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. 2 is a partialend view, showing the fastening device.

A is the capstan aforesaid, the same being stepped in one of the endcross-sills of the frame, and having a bearing in the top cross-- piece.This capstan has a cone, a, with spiral threads at its bottom, aroundwhich is wound a cable, a that passes around a drum, 0, se-

cured to a shaft, c mounted crosswise of the bed-sills directly beneaththe middle of the bale-box (1. Around the shaft 0 are wound, in oppositedirections, two cables, 0 0 one of which passes from beneath the shaftand the other from above it to sheaves e Z, mounted in a slot in thebottom of the bale-box d, at

opposite sides of the shaft 0 From these sheaves-the cables 0 0 passupward to and over sheaves 0 1 mounted in stirrups 01 depending from theends of the follower-beam h. From the sheaves e Z the cables 0 (2 passdownward to and under sheaves e 1 mounted in the same slot of thebale-box bottom as the age of this cone constantly grows more powerfulas the resistance of the balev becomes greaterfrom the beginning to theend of the pressing operation, owing to the constantly-decreasingdiameter of the part of the cone which pulls on the cable a At the topof the capstan A is another inverted cone, 6?, around which are wound,in the opposite direction from the cable 00, two cables, ad, which pass,as shown in the drawing, under sheaves m and over sheaves 12, mounted inthe top of the frame, and pass thence down to the ends of thefollower-beam h, when they are fastened. Hence, while the cable a iswinding upon the cone a and drawing down the follower, the cables 0. areunwinding from the cone a and,while the cable a is unwinding from thecone a, the cables a are winding upon the cone a and. drawing up thefollower after the bale is pressed. There is also a windlass mounted atthe side of the frame for raising the follower, if preferred, by meansof ropes working over sheaves at 0 0 fastened to the top of thefollower-beam. To each end of the follower-beam a pawl, 19, ispivoted,the same having a long and a short arm. Vertical ratchet-bars 1'are attached to the outside of the bale-box. When the folpawls p areplaced against these ratchet-bars and their weight serves to'keep themin contact with the ratchet-bars, so as to hold the follower at alltimes against the reaction of the halo. When the follower is rising theshorter arms of the pawl 12 are turned inward, and the weight of thelonger arms serves to keep the shorter arms always in contact with theratchets, and thus prevents any slipping or falling back of the followerin rising. The side doors D of the bale-box are hung on hinges, whichare placed just at the inner corners of the post, so as not to endangerthe hinges. of the side doors is a bar, 8, of iron, jointed at themiddle and having a spear-head, 8, formed at its swinging end, theshoulders of which head, when both doors are shut, catch in a notch,faced with iron, at the swinging end of the other door, and thus fastenthe doors. One blow of a hammer on this spearhead knocks it out of thenotch, and the spring of the cotton causes both to fly open. By this thebottom toward the top, so that the leverlower is descending the longerarms of the- Fastened to the swinging end of one arrangement I gain teninches of space between the outer corner-post and the corners of thebale, which space is of great advantage in sewing the bagging upon thebale. The frame is mounted on axles B, which have rollers at their ends,by means of which the frame is made portable. Placed in brackets at oneside of the press is a lever, L, having hooks t at one end and lugs tpivoted toit, the whole forming a jack small enough for one man tohandle with ease,which jack, when the machine is drawn into place, is tobe taken out of the brackets and used for hoisting the press high enoughto allow the rollers to be removed, so that the machine may be moresteady while pressing After pressing the jack hoists the frame to allowthe rollers to be replaced on the axles, and the press to be drawn tothe next field.

as set forth.

CHAMP (J. GONNER.

Witnesses:

L. T. CLARK, J. A. CAMPBELL.

